codecrackerx9

Hi, first time post, long time reader. Let me first just say fore the past two years this site and its members have been the single greatest source of information for my RX8. I appreciate all your posts and knowledge!

A little bit about my RX8:
2004 MT
97K miles
Reman tranny, original engine
Many mods (will try to list them in my profile soon)
Drive it in both summer and winter in MI

I have searched this forum and many a google search results and cannot find the information I seek.

I am in the process of doing the Mazmart oil pressure regulation mod and I just can't get the bottom part of the oil pan off. I have of course drained the oil, and unscrewed all 19 bolts from that oil pan, removed the oil sensor, and proceeded to cut (not pry) off the bottom part of the oil pan. I am having no luck whatsoever getting that thing to budge. It is sealed so tight that I cannot get my box cutter or and other thin blade tool to even get in between the bottom part of the oil pan and the rest of it.

Any suggestions on how to remove it? I have also tried loosening it with a rubber mallet. What tools have you guys used to cut the gasket off?

Thanks!

HiFlite999

iTrader: (2)

I found prying with a little pry bar to be the only way. (Realize too that there are a couple of bolts near the back of the pan that are hard to see.) Use a small pry tool, not a screwdriver; you want to spread the force over as wide an area as possible. If the lip of the pan gets a little bent, it's pretty easy to bend it back. Some pans are gooped more than others and come off with greater difficulty. IIRC, the best place to pry is (carefully) using the center iron area on the LHS of the engine, under the protrusion for the coolant drain plug. Heating may help some, though I didn't try that.

https://www.rx8club.com/tech-garage-...8/#post3952437

https://www.rx8club.com/tech-garage-...9/#post3401507

TeamRX8

iTrader: (25)

a thin chisel and hammer, Mazda has a similar service tool they use to separate it

usually there's no way to remove it without denting/bending the pan rail. This and it taking so long to clean up is why they install a new pan rather than re-use the old one

codecrackerx9

Thank you for your suggestions. Unfortunately I had to put oil in the car and drive it to work this morning. Next time I change the oil I will give your suggestions a try and reply back with my results.

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

they put loads of silicone there and it will be stuck. so follow team's words to remove it.

and it's going to be a bitaachhhh to clean the pan.

while u try to install the mod, prepare lots of clean towel cuz oil will keep dripping, put eye protection on.

HiFlite999

iTrader: (2)

Just don't tear up the aluminum mating surface. Much better to damage the oil pan. There's no gasket, so have suitable sealant on hand to reseal. Best to let it cure for a day before driving off.

chepetech

iTrader: (2)

Theres actually 22 screws on the oil pan....not 19. Your missing three screws. Maybe this is why it wont completely come off.

codecrackerx9

I probably miscounted. I felt all the way around the rim of the oil pan and felt no more screws, so I think I got them all. But I will make sure and double count next time. Thanks for the tip.

codecrackerx9

I have seen that owners performing this mod have often switched to the higher bypass oil filter used in the series 2 cars. From what I gathered, the idea is that if you have higher oil pressure the bypass will be active more often and that is bad.

Is it necessary to use the series 2 filter? How bad is it if you don't? I have the oil filter adapter for pressure and temp below my filter and I am afraid I cannot get the larger series 2 filter on. Even if I can, I would think I could remove it with the cap and wrench.

Any comments on this? Thanks.

HiFlite999

iTrader: (2)

The S2 filter will fit (barely) with the Prosport adapter, but not with the Racing Beat. There is a plastic bracket guiding some metal lines along the firewall which will interfere. Moving the lines into higher notches and sawing off the lower part of the bracket over the oil filter will give enough room. There's no room for a wrench, but tightening by hand is ok, and better anyway.

A better solution is to get a couple of banjo bolts from rx8Performance and relocate the sensors so the adapter isn't needed.

In either case, be aware that operations, such as changing engine mounts, that require jacking up the engine may require the filter be removed to avoid locking the engine against the firewall.

Keep a new spare S2 filter or two around, S2's are so rare that some dealers don't stock them.

chepetech

iTrader: (2)

Make sure u dont over tighten the screws on the front cover....u will tear up the threads and that sucks.

The threads on the front cover, not the bolts itself.

codecrackerx9

Thanks for the info, those banjo bolts look like a really nice option. I think I will try and install those with the next oil change as well.

I do plan on changing the engine mounts soon, I will keep the clearance in mind. Thanks!

I have not stripped any screws yet putting the oil pan back on. I'll make sure i don't over tighten next time as well. Thanks!

codecrackerx9

Any specific tool I can get somewhere for this job? Thanks for the heads up on eye protection.

Right, I read the other posts around here and was going to use the Right Stuff one minute gasket but I was hesitant since I wasn't sure if I could seal and install the pan in one minute. I heard the gray sealant was also good for this. Thoughts?

For basic installation I used this DIY

HiFlite999

iTrader: (2)

I'm sure many products work. Red RTV has worked well for me on other cars, so I used a small portion from a 3 oz tube of Permatex #81160 High-Temp Red RTV Silicone Gasket Maker.

No leaks or seepage after ~2 years.

breezy_rx8

For anyone who stripped the threads for the 6 bolts on the front of the oil pan. Top tip: 4 of the 6 bolt holes go all the way to the top. You can simply get a 6mm tap and tap the rest of the hole all the way through to the top. Then get a longer 6mm bolt with lock washer and nut. You can now tighten up to the maximum torque of 104 in-lbs.

For the other 2 front bolts (in the middle), there is no room to put a nut on top. So you will have to re-tap or heli-coil thread repair. I re-tapped to 8mm , worked fine and got the 104 in-lbs of torque.

Best advice, get the right torque wrench from the start. Had I simply gone to Auto Zone and got the loaner tool instead of trying to blindly tighten the bolts, I never would have stripped the threads. It is ridiculously easy to strip the threads on the soft aluminum.

TeamRX8

iTrader: (25)

Bump, recently noticed that Pineapple Racing has released a Viton oil pan gasket for the Renesis.

Oil pan gasket RX8 all

It'd be great if you didn't have to mess with the RTV mess every time, but I haven't seen or heard anything about how well it may work ....


.

dannobre

iTrader: (3)

Considering that most delete the stupid gaskets on the rest of the motors and use RTV...it likely wouldn't work that well on the Renesis either

It could work better though...there are no motor mount bolts that are messing with the seal

Likely need new bolts as well.....

Looks like you should try it out

codecrackerx9

Following up as I started this thread:

I used the Pineapple Racing Viton oil pan gasket for the Renesis (as TeamRX8 mentioned above) a few months back in my engine rebuild and it has held up great! I would highly recommend it. I can attest to its reusability as well. I took it on and off once or twice during the rebuild as I forgot to install the oil pressure kit. No leaks whatsoever.

My method for removing the oil pan was (after all the bolts were removed) to use a super thin putty scraper and hammer it in between the pan and the engine lightly until it went all the way thought. Hammering the side of it as it slide around while fully inserted worked really well. Took a few minutes, pan was reusable.

Thanks for all the replies!

TeamRX8

iTrader: (25)

it will definitely make the job much easier the next time around, thanks for sharing